Jim Ryan Says PlayStation VR “Liberating for Developers” Because it Allows for Experimentation

June 28, 2016
Written by Michael Briers

With an October 13 release date now locked and a launch lineup to call its own, PlayStation VR is fast becoming a reality.

Then again, as PSVR stands as a “different proposition” both from a marketing and development point of view, there’s a fair amount of uncertainty looming over Sony’s new hardware, but according to PlayStation’s Global Head of Sales and Marketing Jim Ryan, this sense of uncertainty can be liberating for developers.

Speaking with MCVUK in the aftermath of E3, Ryan pointed to the ways in which PlayStation VR allows for both studios and publishers to experiment, particularly considering that there “is no trodden path” that they “feel obligated to follow.”

“The truth is we don’t really know, because VR is such a different proposition. We are very intrigued about VR, but there is so much we won’t know until we get out there and see what people enjoy. Uncertainty is liberating in many ways. There is no trodden path that developers or publishers feel obligated to follow. Everybody is doing things a bit differently, and that’s great.”

While Ryan cooled talk of PlayStation VR boosting sales of PlayStation 4, the executive believes that the advent of PSVR “could definitely enhance and prolong the lifecycle.”